Netflix’s Greatest Troll: Violet Evergarden

Netflix has the exclusive rights to Violet Evergarden—an anime so incredible it ranked as the #20 anime of all-time on MAL before airing a single episode. To be fair, it garnered that much hype from three convention screenings: Anime Expo in LA (July 2nd), at AnimagiC in Germany (August 5th & 6th), and at C3 AFA Singapore (November 25nd). Violet Evergarden may deserve that distinction someday.

But for anyone living in the United States, we have to wait a while.

Way back in August, Netflix reported it would start streaming episodes in Japan on January 10th. Which is fine. That’s the norm. Japan first, everyone else second. Netflix has to do an unimaginable number of dubs and create subtitles for each of those languages. I know about it and expect it to happen.

(Source: Netflix)

But it’s like Netflix knows that America knows and decided to screw with us in a new way. So in December, Netflix announced a January 11th release date for the UK, Canada, and the Philippines. And mission accomplished because…I just don’t get it.

Canada and the UK are primarily English speaking countries, just like the United States. The release schedule just doesn’t make sense. Why make the United States wait until Spring? It’s not like the episodes are still being translated—they’re simulcasting the damn thing. Americans love simulcasting anime! I’m slack-jawed and dumbfounded and lost looking for answers.

Now you might be asking, “Why do you care so much?” The easy answer is that I’m imagining that Netflix is slighting me. I actually completely understand that some sort of twisted license negotiation war, and that this is a sad sad reflection of being a person in a first-world, English-speaking country – – I usually get things when I want them. And I act like a child when I don’t. (Hell, I’m still mad that Australia screened the Harry Potter 7 premiere before the States).

This time just feels like Netflix stuck two middle fingers up instead of just one. But also because…well…Violet Evergarden has a TON of hype around it, and for a damn good reason—it’s a Kyoani Grand Prize winner. Check that. In eight years, it is the only Kyoani grand prize winner.

Quick tangent. The Kyoani Awards receive novel, manga, and script submissions every year with the promise to potentially turn winners/honorable mentions into an anime. But that’s easier said than done. Fewer than 25 “honorable mentions/incentive” awards have been awarded, even fewer have become an anime. Hell, it’s so hard to win, the third and sixth year of the awards did not have a single winner.

My god it looks incredible. I wish I didn’t have eyelids.

Netflix is missing a great opportunity here. This winter season sucks—just really sucks. There may be five decent anime right now. They’ve already decimated the competition with Devilman: Crybaby. So why not push for an earlier release when this show would have NO competition?